Make Your Own Compost Tea

Compost tea is a great way to introduce nutrients to your plants. In an urban gardening project, this is a great natural alternative to using plant food. Of course, the first and most important ingredient is compost. You can either purchase the compost or create your own using these simple steps for an indoor set-up. Making compost tea can be as involved or as simple as you'd like, depending on your gardening needs. The goal of making compost tea is to put the benefits of compost into liquid form.  Here, I will share the simplest technique I have used for making compost tea for use with various indoor plants.

The basic equipment is the cut off leg of nylon stocking, compost, water, and a container. Here, I used a 64 oz container.

Insert the nylon stocking into the empty container, wrapping it around the top to create a lip. Carefully fill the stocking with the compost.

Once halfway full, tie the stocking off and around the top of the container. Fill the container with water and let sit for 4-6 hours.

What you will end up with is water that looks pretty dirty, but is actually full of nutrients for your plants. Of course, the better the compost, the better the tea, so I recommend either using your own or researching where to purchase good compost to ensure a balanced nutrient content. After 4-6 hours, you can either water plants directly, or fill a spray bottle for light use.

Introducing....City Scientists!

Launching in September, Kiddie Science is proud to present City Scientists!

The City Scientists program is a fun, hands-on workshop for preschoolers age 3-5. We meet on Thursdays from 12:45pm to 2pm at Paradigm Kids, located in downtown Manhattan at 8-10 Liberty Place on the 5th Floor.

Register your young scientist today at http://www.kiddiescience.com/CityScientists.html

"Supermoon" 2014

Image from Space.com

Formally known as perigee, the "supermoon" is the coincidence of the moon in its full or new phase while making its closest approach to the Earth. This creates the illusion of a brighter and bigger than normal moon, commonly known as the "supermoon". Perigee will happen on Sunday, August 10th (and again on September 9th).

Although its name hints to it being a rare occurrence, it actually occurs roughly every 13 months and 18 days. The best time to observe the "supermoon" is when its near the horizon. This creates the illusion of making the moon look even more unusually large and bright.

On Sunday evening, take a walk outside and look up at the sky. Can you see the perigean full moon?

To learn more, visit EarthSky.